Liberia’s Information Minister Lewis Brown said that the plane went down in Charlesville, near Liberia’s largest airport, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Monrovia, the capital. He said there were about 10 people on the plane.

Guinea’s Army Chief of Staff Gen. Souleymane Kelefa Diallo was killed, a spokesman for the military said.

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“I can confirm that there was a crash ... There were between 12 and 18 officers on the plane,” said a Guinean military spokesman Comm. Alpha Barry. “The minister of national defense is now meeting with the presidency.”

Two pilots were also killed in the crash, according to a Guinean official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to the press.

Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf confirmed the crash while speaking at an Armed Forces ceremony on Monday. The delegation was flying to Liberia for the celebrations. She called for a moment of silence for those involved in the crash and declared Tuesday a day of mourning.